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In a significant bipartisan victory for transparency and justice, both the U.S. House and Senate approved legislation this week mandating the public release of government documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities.
A bill poised to release the files connected to Jeffrey Epstein is now on the brink of becoming law, pending President Trump’s signature. This follows an overwhelming 427-1 vote in the House of Representatives and unanimous approval in the Senate.
The bill’s passage was championed by Rep. Thomas Massie, who utilized a discharge petition to bypass previous congressional inaction. Celebrating the legislative victory, Massie took to X on Wednesday to express his satisfaction.
“Yesterday, the House fulfilled the people’s will by decisively voting to release the Epstein files, overcoming Mike Johnson’s five-month obstruction. The Senate, rejecting any loopholes, stood firm in support,” Massie commented.
He remains hopeful that the release of these documents will finally uncover the full extent of Epstein’s network and those who were complicit in or benefited from his activities.
Although House Speaker Mike Johnson ultimately supported the bill, he voiced significant dissatisfaction with the process. Reflecting on the swift nature of the floor vote, Johnson remarked, “I am deeply disappointed in this outcome.”
He continued, “I was just told that Chuck Schumer rushed it to the floor and put it out there preemptively. It needed amendments.” Johnson described the bill as a “political exercise” with “serious deficiencies,” highlighting dissatisfaction with the lack of changes before passage.
NEW: Speaker Johnson tells me he’s “deeply disappointed” the Senate approved the Epstein files bill without making changes.
He said he spoke to Trump about it tonight: “We both have concerns,” Johnson said.
I asked if Trump may veto it: “I’m not saying that. I don’t know.” pic.twitter.com/qdErlrMKWY
— Mychael Schnell (@mychaelschnell) November 19, 2025
Worse still, the legislation hands Attorney General Pam Bondi sweeping authority to withhold or redact any portion of the files that could be deemed a threat to national security or could jeopardize ongoing federal investigations. This could undermine the bill’s purpose, granting Bondi broad discretion to clamp down on critical information under vague pretenses.
The bill mandates Justice Department disclosure within 30 days, a deadline designed to prevent further delays. Still, vigilance will be required to ensure those protections for secrecy are not abused to conceal wrongdoing.
